[Sca-cooks] Bread recipe request (OOP) - results

[R. Trigg]

For anyone who is interested, here's what I did with the struan recipe: I 
only had basic descriptions. One description of the bread said that it used 
grains such as oats, barley, and rye and said it was topped with three 
layers of a "batter" made of eggs, cream, and butter.

This was not, by the way, an attempt at a historical recipe. I was trying 
to recreate a traditional recipe a friend had requested. I did add a few 
flourishes of my own. The only recipe I could find was the Brother Juniper 
version, so I used that as a frame, but changed some of the ingredients.

7 c bread flour
1/2 c rye flour
1/2 c rolled oats
1/3 c wheat bran
4 tsp kosher salt
3 T active dry yeast
1/2 c barley flour
3/4 c honey (next time I think I will use 1 c)
3/4 c buttermilk (I may also increase this to 1 c)
1/2 cup pale, dry sherry
2 to 2-1/2 c water (will vary)
frozen strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries (or other 
fruit)
walnuts (or other nuts, as desired)

Mix all dry ingredients (including yeast & salt) together. Add the honey, 
sherry, and buttermilk and blend well. I added the fruit and walnuts at 
this point; combine. Add water gradually until dough comes together. (You 
may need a little bit more bread flour if dough is too sticky.) Turn out 
onto floured board and knead until satiny and somewhat elastic. (I used 
plastic gloves (non-latex) at this stage -- it's a "sticky stuff on my 
hands" thing.) This will take around 10-15 minutes. Leave to rise in a warm 
place covered with plastic wrap and a towel for about an hour until doubled 
in size. Divide into two, flatten out each piece and roll up. Place 
seam-side down on baking sheet and tuck ends underneath. Allow to rise for 
about 1 to 1-1/2 hours until doubled in size. Glaze with a mixture of one 
egg, some cream (probably about 1/4 cup), 3 T softened butter, and a splash 
of clove extract (I made my own some time back). Bake in a preheated 425 
degree oven for 15 minutes. Briefly pull out and glaze a second time. Bake 
another 15 minutes. Glaze for the last time and sprinkle with 
nutmeg/cinnamon/sugar mix. Bake 10 minutes more or until done. Bread should 
sound hollow when thumped. Cool on cooling rack.

What I will do differently next time: I noticed there were alot of white 
spots throughout the bread where the flour did not mix in completely. I 
think the next time I make this, I will combine the dry ingredients and the 
wet ingredients separately and then gradually add the dry components into 
the wet. It made a very tasty loaf of bread despite the incomplete mixing, 
but wasn't the dessert my friend was looking for (though I think it would 
make a very good bread pudding). Another experiment will be making it 
slightly sweeter and more cake-like.

Nostas'ia Stepanova
Barony of Ponte Alto, Atlantia
***************
Rachel Trigg
Alexandria, VA